CAP engaged: VF-26 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling) (5 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 4 being recalled, 1 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 6000 Time for all group planes to reach interception is 29 minutes 5 planes vectored on to bombers VC(F)-33 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling) (7 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 7 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 6000 Time for all group planes to reach interception is 14 minutes 4 planes vectored on to bombers VF-35 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling) (5 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 5 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 8000 Time for all group planes to reach interception is 15 minutes 4 planes vectored on to bombers VF-37 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling) (8 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 8 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 12000 Time for all group planes to reach interception is 9 minutes 4 planes vectored on to bombers VC(F)-41 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling) (7 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 3 being recalled, 4 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 19000 Time for all group planes to reach interception is 37 minutes 4 planes vectored on to bombers VF-60 with F6F-3 Hellcat (4 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling) (8 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.) 4 plane(s) intercepting now. 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 4 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 13000 Time for all group planes to reach interception is 9 minutes 4 planes vectored on to bombers VC(F)-63 with F6F-3 Hellcat (2 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling) (5 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.) 2 plane(s) intercepting now. 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 3 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 20000 Time for all group planes to reach interception is 15 minutes 3 planes vectored on to bombers VRF-1F with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling) (4 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 4 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 8000 Time for all group planes to reach interception is 16 minutes 3 planes vectored on to bombers VRF-2F with F6F-3 Hellcat (3 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling) (4 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.) 3 plane(s) intercepting now. 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 1 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 9000 Time for all group planes to reach interception is 7 minutes VRF-3F with F6F-3 Hellcat (4 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling) (5 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.) 4 plane(s) intercepting now. 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 1 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 17000 Time for all group planes to reach interception is 9 minutes 5 planes vectored on to bombers VRF-4F with F6F-3 Hellcat (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling) (5 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.) 1 plane(s) intercepting now. 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 4 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 12000 Time for all group planes to reach interception is 5 minutes VRF-5F with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling) (1 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 1 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 8000 Time for all group planes to reach interception is 32 minutes 1 planes vectored on to bombers VRF-6F with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling) (4 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 4 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 17000 Time for all group planes to reach interception is 3 minutes 4 planes vectored on to bombers VRF-7F with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling) (1 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 1 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 15000 Time for all group planes to reach interception is 2 minutes VMF-115 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling) (2 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 2 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 20000 Time for all group planes to reach interception is 31 minutes 2 planes vectored on to bombers VF-17 with F4U-1 Corsair (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 14 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 20000 Time for all group planes to reach interception is 1 minutes 14 planes vectored on to bombers VF-38 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 10 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 25000 Time for all group planes to reach interception is 13 minutes VF-40 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 12 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 33000 Time for all group planes to reach interception is 6 minutes 318th FG/333rd FS with P-47D2 Thunderbolt (7 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling) 7 plane(s) intercepting now. Group patrol altitude is 35000 Raid is overhead 348th FG/341st FS with P-38H Lightning (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 7 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 22000 Time for all group planes to reach interception is 35 minutes 7 planes vectored on to bombers

Motorized Support lost in surf during unload of 1st Marine Div /3 13 troops of a USMC Rifle Squad 43 lost overboard during unload of 1st Marine Div /6 10 Support troops lost overboard during unload of XIV US Corps /2

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on Ayuthia , at 56,61

I have two Ta-Chi 7 radars at Ayuthia in an IJAAF Base Force unit. These have yet to work, this is the third day in a row where the base has been Swept without a detection. This partially explains the dire performance of my CAP.

Takao currently has 10 of these radars installed. Let's hope that's enough.

The radars at Ayuthia have started working. I still lose against the Sweeps but not so badly. The availability of SR 3 Tonies versus SR 1 Tojos does not seem greatly different, at least in the absence of bombing.

Otherwise there is not much going on.

Takao now has 1079+76 eng/veh. Testing shows that that this is still not quite enough in the face of the 1945 Allied strength but perhaps I will get to play in this area before that strength exists.

The radars at Ayuthia have started working. I still lose against the Sweeps but not so badly. The availability of SR 3 Tonies versus SR 1 Tojos does not seem greatly different, at least in the absence of bombing.

Otherwise there is not much going on.

Takao now has 1079+76 eng/veh. Testing shows that that this is still not quite enough in the face of the 1945 Allied strength but perhaps I will get to play in this area before that strength exists.

Well, it depends on what you're fighting with the Tonys. I just a had a bunch of them get nailed and the Tojos did okay. Go figure.

The Spit VIII is devastating. Not much you can do except work his pools down by losing 5:1 planes. The replace rate is not good for them, but it hasn't mattered in my game as they hardly ever lose. I think they'd have to blunder into triple their number for you to get anywhere near even results.

I've started to pay much more attention to radars, but even with 4 present at some bases they can miss detection. Not great.

_____________________________

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill

Things have quietened down here considerably. He has been bombing Ponape using Ground Attack with 2Es out of Kusaie, but the fortress has been barely affected. The airfield remains closed though and I am flying out the remaining av support to Truk and Guam.

It seems to me that he may be thinking the island hopping route is too tough (given his risk-averse nature) and is instead developing a schwerpunkt through the DEI towards the Philippines.

CAP engaged: VF-1 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 12 on standby, 17 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 6 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 15000 , scrambling fighters between 8000 and 19000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 38 minutes 24 planes vectored on to bombers VF-2 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 9 on standby, 20 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 4 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 17000 , scrambling fighters between 12000 and 20000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 40 minutes 21 planes vectored on to bombers VF-3 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 10 on standby, 22 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 4 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 17000 , scrambling fighters between 14000 and 22000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 46 minutes 25 planes vectored on to bombers VF-42 with F6F-3 Hellcat (4 airborne, 15 on standby, 14 scrambling) 4 plane(s) intercepting now. 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 3 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 19000 , scrambling fighters between 11000 and 19000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 26 minutes 17 planes vectored on to bombers VF-6 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 12 on standby, 18 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 6 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 13000 , scrambling fighters between 8000 and 20000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 26 minutes 18 planes vectored on to bombers VF-8 with F6F-3 Hellcat (2 airborne, 12 on standby, 17 scrambling) 2 plane(s) intercepting now. 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 4 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 16000 , scrambling fighters between 8000 and 21000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 25 minutes 30 planes vectored on to bombers VF-16 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 12 on standby, 17 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 5 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 12000 , scrambling fighters between 12000 and 20000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 43 minutes 28 planes vectored on to bombers VF-18 with F6F-3 Hellcat (5 airborne, 12 on standby, 0 scrambling) 5 plane(s) intercepting now. Group patrol altitude is 17000 , scrambling fighters between 17000 and 19000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 21 minutes 4 planes vectored on to bombers VF-22 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 4 on standby, 0 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 2 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 7000 , scrambling fighters to 12000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 29 minutes 2 planes vectored on to bombers VF-23 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 4 on standby, 0 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 2 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 12000 , scrambling fighters to 14000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 36 minutes 2 planes vectored on to bombers VF-24 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 4 on standby, 0 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 2 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 13000 , scrambling fighters to 13000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 19 minutes VF-25 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 5 on standby, 0 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 2 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 16000 , scrambling fighters between 16000 and 21000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 36 minutes 2 planes vectored on to bombers VF-30 with F6F-3 Hellcat (1 airborne, 4 on standby, 0 scrambling) 1 plane(s) intercepting now. Group patrol altitude is 9000 , scrambling fighters to 19000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 21 minutes 5 planes vectored on to bombers VF-26 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 9 on standby, 8 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 4 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 6000 , scrambling fighters between 6000 and 21000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 48 minutes 16 planes vectored on to bombers VC(F)-33 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 8 on standby, 7 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 3 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 6000 , scrambling fighters between 6000 and 19000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 48 minutes 10 planes vectored on to bombers VF-35 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 9 on standby, 8 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 4 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 8000 , scrambling fighters between 13000 and 16000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 32 minutes 5 planes vectored on to bombers VF-37 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 8 on standby, 8 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 4 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 12000 , scrambling fighters between 12000 and 19000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 36 minutes 4 planes vectored on to bombers VC(F)-41 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 8 on standby, 0 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 3 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 19000 , scrambling fighters between 18000 and 19000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 31 minutes 8 planes vectored on to bombers VF-60 with F6F-3 Hellcat (4 airborne, 8 on standby, 0 scrambling) 4 plane(s) intercepting now. Group patrol altitude is 13000 , scrambling fighters between 13000 and 18000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 24 minutes 4 planes vectored on to bombers VRF-6F with F6F-3 Hellcat (4 airborne, 10 on standby, 0 scrambling) 4 plane(s) intercepting now. Group patrol altitude is 17000 , scrambling fighters between 15000 and 17000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 35 minutes 8 planes vectored on to bombers

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on TF, near Kendari at 70,107

CAP engaged: VF-1 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 12 on standby, 16 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 5 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 15000 , scrambling fighters between 1000 and 15000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 36 minutes VF-2 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 9 on standby, 19 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 4 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 17000 , scrambling fighters between 1000 and 38800. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 40 minutes VF-3 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 10 on standby, 0 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 4 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 17000 , scrambling fighters between 17000 and 38800. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 40 minutes VF-42 with F6F-3 Hellcat (3 airborne, 15 on standby, 14 scrambling) 3 plane(s) intercepting now. 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 4 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 19000 , scrambling fighters between 2000 and 38800. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 36 minutes VF-6 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 12 on standby, 17 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 6 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 13000 , scrambling fighters between 1000 and 38800. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 27 minutes VF-8 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 12 on standby, 0 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 6 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 16000 , scrambling fighters between 16000 and 38800. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 27 minutes VF-16 with F6F-3 Hellcat (4 airborne, 12 on standby, 0 scrambling) 4 plane(s) intercepting now. 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 1 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 12000 , scrambling fighters between 1000 and 38800. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 37 minutes VF-18 with F6F-3 Hellcat (5 airborne, 12 on standby, 0 scrambling) 5 plane(s) intercepting now. Group patrol altitude is 17000 , scrambling fighters between 8000 and 38800. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 27 minutes VF-22 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 4 on standby, 0 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 2 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 7000 , scrambling fighters to 4000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 18 minutes VF-23 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 4 on standby, 0 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 2 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 12000 , scrambling fighters to 3000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 34 minutes VF-24 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 4 on standby, 0 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 1 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 13000 , scrambling fighters to 38800. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 27 minutes VF-25 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 5 on standby, 0 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 2 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 16000 , scrambling fighters between 1000 and 38800. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 27 minutes VF-30 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 4 on standby, 0 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 1 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 9000 , scrambling fighters to 3000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 15 minutes VF-26 with F6F-3 Hellcat (3 airborne, 8 on standby, 7 scrambling) 3 plane(s) intercepting now. Group patrol altitude is 6000 , scrambling fighters between 6000 and 38800. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 39 minutes VC(F)-33 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 7 on standby, 6 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 3 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 6000 , scrambling fighters between 2000 and 38800. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 36 minutes VF-35 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 9 on standby, 8 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 4 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 8000 , scrambling fighters between 2000 and 38800. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 38 minutes VF-37 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 8 on standby, 0 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 3 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 12000 , scrambling fighters between 3000 and 6000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 34 minutes VC(F)-41 with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 8 on standby, 0 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 3 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 19000 , scrambling fighters between 4000 and 19000. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 35 minutes VF-60 with F6F-3 Hellcat (3 airborne, 8 on standby, 0 scrambling) 3 plane(s) intercepting now. Group patrol altitude is 13000 , scrambling fighters between 3000 and 38800. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 46 minutes VRF-6F with F6F-3 Hellcat (0 airborne, 10 on standby, 0 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 4 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 17000 , scrambling fighters between 2000 and 38800. Time for all group planes to reach interception is 38 minutes

The Nicks take out a 5in battery on the North Carolina. However these air units will now need to rebuild and recover before attacking again.

I am trying a counter-invasion with tanks at Morotai. Most of them landed safely despite having little preparation, possibly because I used my 4 LSDs to drop them . There is only a USMC Para Bn at the base. It would be great to destroy this unit and get rid of its high experience.

Industry-wise I now have over 2m HI points for the first time ever.

It is quite unbelievable that we are nearly in 1944. I feel like the game has only just started really.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on TF, near Kendari at 71,107

It's Christmas Day, and although the Empire does not celebrate this festival we did get a present of sorts. My cardboard tanks wiped out the Marine paras at Morotai without taking any losses. It's not very realistic that unaccompanied tanks could defeat infantry in Jungle-Rough terrain like this but still, nice :-)

CAP engaged: VMO-251 with F4U-1 Corsair (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 3 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 25000 Time for all group planes to reach interception is 15 minutes VMF-311 with F4U-1 Corsair (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling) 0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 3 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact. Group patrol altitude is 25000 Time for all group planes to reach interception is 7 minutes

Some 59 unescorted B-24s attack Ternate airfield. We shot down 25 of the beasties but then in the PM phase the Hellcat and P-47 Sweep arrived out of Boela, which had been socked in for the AM phase. A total of 35 Zeroes were lost. However the base is not closed so I will keep a CAP up.

He very rarely uses the Escort mission. While this normally means that I lose loads of fighters to Sweeps, on a few occasions now I have had the pleasure of opening up a can of whoop-ass on the unescorted 4Es. This may be important psychologically, since like most Allied players he tends to fixate on the "big stick" of the 4E bombers and doesn't seem to realise that his real strength lies in the more numerous and easier to support 2Es.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Air attack on Ternate , at 78,102

I've done similar at least 5 times now, and also several times on a lesser scale with supposedly even more useless Rufes and Rexes. It's not about the aircraft it's about the absence of an escort, defending pilot quality and their fatigue/morale, air HQ and airgroup leaders, the altitude of the CAP and getting a good detection.

Well those things are certainly important, but because I also pay attention to them I now that it's pretty rare to get such good results against 4Es with crap A6M. I also had some odd results, even downing 20 B-29s with only 18 A6M5c against 90 bombers. Sometimes the stars align.

Here your group that has the shortest time to intercept is also the one most out of position at 17k, so it's not just the settings. Maybe your pilots are also better, it is clear sky so no hidden bombers, and maybe ... who knows!

_____________________________

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill

Massive Sweeps and 4E bombing at Bangkok and Ternate. As a result both fields are now closed.

He has also taken Ayuthia with the initial Shock Attack over the river.

On the plus side we did get rid of 37 P-47s. However, he has clearly demonstrated that he has enough quality fighters in SE Asia to exhaust whatever CAP I might put up (sans the 1st Air Army). This is not unexpected but it's still a tad discouraging. I would guess I have at most one more month of access to Palembang and Singapore.

We're getting very close to 1944 now. I will do a big post when that happens.

More Sweeps and bombing of Ternate and Bangkok today, unopposed. Neither of these bases will host air again, clearly.

I sank a USN sub south of Hong Kong. This was achieved by normal Es which were escorting some AOs. My policy is to use nothing but SCs for dedicated ASW TFs. This is to ameloriate the super-E effect, but I am finding that anything with Type 2 Depth Charges is quite deadly regardless of context.

A counter-invasion of Lotobato (adjacent to Ternate) is on for next turn. Fast Transport has delivered two SNLF units to the base from Babeldoab with reasonably low disruption. They will face a single USMC Para Bn as at Morotai.

The USMC paras at Lotobato are duly despatched. Some Corsairs out of Kendari perform a Sweep over Balikpapan, where they are met (unsuccessfully) by some non-radar directed Nicks. This is the first time that this base has been attacked.

The USMC paras at Lotobato are duly despatched. Some Corsairs out of Kendari perform a Sweep over Balikpapan, where they are met (unsuccessfully) by some non-radar directed Nicks. This is the first time that this base has been attacked.

Fuel has been going down, but I still have over 5m tonnes available not including that which is in ships' bunkers. There is also around 1.5m tonnes of oil yet to be converted, most of which is in the Home Islands.

Supply still feels comfortable at this point and I am not even slightly concerned about Resources.

Armaments and Vehicles are draining rapidly now what with the number of reinforcements and destroyed units to re-build, however I am not too worried given the pool sizes.